Mini-Review: Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame

Author: Abby Grahame

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Pages: 276

Published: May 1st, 2012

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster

Rating: 1/5 Stars

" Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.
     It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been…even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.
     Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one…the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.
     When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long."~Goodreads

Wow, was this disappointing.  After this book came out last year I heard some not-so-great things, but the premise sounded good and I love historical fiction so I figured I'd give it a shot.  Unfortunately I was underwhelmed.  The first two thirds of the story were alright.  I wasn't too enthusiastic about the story line since it was pretty much entirely predictable but I was still on board and fairly entertained.  The plot was clipping along at a nice pace and I wasn't bored so that was a good thing.  There were some signs early on that things were not going in a promising direction.  For one thing, the editing was just not very good.  The tense kept changing, sometimes in the same sentence.

"'Do you mean these?' Richina asked and shimmied with arms outstretched, her many diamonds, bracelets, necklaces, and brooches creating such a commotion that a large chunk of plaster falls from the ceiling." ~pg 63-64

I could have chalked this up to an oversight but it kept happening and it really messed with the flow of the story.  Another huge problem, at least for a history geek like me, was that the author didn't seem to do her research when it came to English titles.  The family's last name is Darlington.  They are titled nobility and therefore should be called by their proper titles.  So if Arthur Darlington is Earl of Fluffbottom (I don't believe his position is ever laid out, so I'm just brainstorming here) then he would be Lord Fluffbottom, not Lord Darlington.  However the parents are constantly referred to as Lord and Lady Darlington.  It may not be a big deal to some people but it really bothered me.  Along the same lines the staff kept calling the daughters Maggie and Lila instead of Lady Margaret and Lady Lila.  But I'm nitpicking.

Let's just move on to the end of the book.  Oh the problems I had with this!  Throughout this entire book there are a million different things going on and while I was able to correctly predict the outcome of each situation at it's first mention I would have like to see them fully played out.  Instead it seems that the author got half way through the book and instead of finishing it just slapped another 50 pages on so it would be over.  In one chapter we have Lord Fluffbottom (whom I refuse to refer to as Lord Darlington) storming off to confront his daughter about the big plot twist and then...boom, books over. We never really revisit the whole reason for Lord Fluffbottom's temper tantrum.  Instead the author lazily explains away everything getting wrapped up and then we find ourselves in the epilogue where everything has either worked out or is still up in the air. I wanted to chuck my book at the wall.

Really Simon and Schuster?  You published this?

This was, overall, just a lazy book.  It seems to be trying to jump on Downton Abbey's coattails but with none of the charm or storytelling, and certainly none of the patience.  I was willing to hang in there and wait for the pay-off, apparently the author wasn't.

Even More Miss Peregrine for Your Nightmare Needs!

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you all know about a couple of really awesome things that have come to my attention in the last several weeks.  Both have to do with one of my favorite books of all time, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!  For those of you who aren't familiar with this creepy, weird and altogether crazy-amazing book, it is a novel based around real antique photographs collected by the author.  The photos are so strange he had to write a book about them.  Miss Peregrine's came was first published in 2011 to wide acclaim.  It is the story of a young man who finds out that his late grandfather's stories about a mysterious house full of odd children with supernatural abilities might not just be stories.  You can read my review here.  And even though I've linked it before, I'll link the book trailer again for you, because you can't watch it too many times.  It's still, hands down, the best book trailer I've ever seen.

So now for the news! A few weeks ago, Quirk Books contacted me and asked if I'd like to get my hands on a copy of the brand new paperback edition. (Huge thanks to Eric at Quirk btw!) Even if you already have this book in hardback you may want to pick up the paperback as well.  It's got an interview with Ransom Riggs, even more pictures and a first look at the upcoming sequel Hollow City!  That's right, the sequel now has a name and a release date: January 14th, 2014.  I can't freaking wait!  This book is more than a story it's a perfect example of found art and I encourage each and every one of you to pick it up.

Review: Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2) by Katie McGarry

Author: Katie McGarry

Genre:  Contemporary

Pages: 462

Published: May 28th, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all..."~Goodreads

Katie McGarry has once again proven that I don't, in fact, dislike contemporaries.  Actually, when Katie is the author I tend to love them.  After waiting almost a year to get my hands on the companion to Pushing The Limits (one of my best books of 2012)  I was finally able to sink my teeth into Dare You To, the story of Noah's best friend Beth and her journey as she discovers what it means to be loved.  Once again, the author broke my heart only to piece it back together again.  

I suppose now it's time to dry my eyes and get to the review, but I have to warn you this is pretty much going to be a gush-fest.  That being said I'm not even going to do my usual bulleted format because, guess what, I CAN'T THINK OF ANY DISLIKES.  I just loved pretty much everything.  I realize this doesn't make for the most interesting review in the world but with writing like this, I don't have much to work with.  For some reason Katie McGarry is able to get into the psyche of every type of character and express what they're going through perfectly.  Maybe she's a witch, maybe she has an army of brain slugs and she spend her weekends roaming skate parks and malls so she can suck the thoughts out of angsty teens.  I don't really care how she does it.  Just as long as she keeps it up.  Also, if it's the brain slug thing, maybe don't tell anyone.

I didn't think it was possible that I would like this book better than PTL, actually I liked it even more.  Beth was so raw and damaged, it took her a long time to really let her vulnerability show and that made her so much more loveable when she did. It was easy to see why she and Ryan fell for each other regardless of their totally different situations.  Just like Echo and Noah, Beth and Ryan complete each other perfectly.  I can't imagine them not being together forever.  For me the perfection of their relationship can be summed up in three words THE POND SCENE.  Read the book, and get back to me.  This scene is one of the few times in my life where I have literally gasped with joy LOUDLY at a book.  It makes me so happy I can hardly contain myself.  It is one of those scenes that just sticks with you forever and makes you feel so many varying emotions that you just have to put the book down and take a second.

Before you take a look at the cover and decide this is just some gooey romance, think again.  Don't worry, there's plenty of romance for those of you who love it, but this book is much, much more than that.  At it's heart, this is a story of overcoming obstacles, whether those obstacles are a tragic family history, pressure to be someone you're not or learning to do what's best for you in your life.  It is a story about a girl finding the family she desperately needs and a boy who doesn't have it as good as it seems.  It is a hopeful, tragic, and downright powerful story.  Everyone should read this book.  And you don't have to read Pushing The Limits first (although you should definitely read it).  McGarry wrote these as stand-alones so you can read them separately.  Characters from PTL are prevalent in this book as well, especially Isaiah, Beth's closest friend.  In fact the only thing that concerned me about this book was that poor Isaiah is constantly left out in the cold.  But wait, remember how I said I had no problems with this book, that's because the third one, Crash Into You , is coming out at the end of this year and it will be Isaiah's book!  That's right, everyone's favorite tattooed ruffian is getting his own book.  And now I can die happy.

Oh um, 5 stars...

Review: The Sweet Dead Life by Joy Preble

Author: Joy Preble

Genre:  Paranormal

Pages: 244

Published: May 14th, 2013

Publisher: SOHO Teen

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"“I found out two things today. One, I think I’m dying. And two, my brother is a perv.”
So begins the diary of 14-year-old Jenna Samuels, who is having a very bad eighth-grade year. Her single mother spends all day in bed. Dad vanished when she was eight. Her 16-year-old brother, Casey, tries to hold together what’s left of the family by working two after-school jobs— difficult, as he’s stoned all the time. To make matters worse, Jenna is sick. When she collapses one day, Casey tries to race her to the hospital in their beat-up Prius and crashes instead.
Jenna wakes up in the ER to find Casey beside her. Beatified. Literally. The flab and zits? Gone. Before long, Jenna figures out that Casey didn’t survive the accident at all. He’s an “A-word.” (She can’t bring herself to utter the truth.) Soon they discover that Jenna isn’t just dying: she’s being poisoned. And Casey has been sent back to help solve the mystery that not only holds the key to her survival, but also to their mother’s mysterious depression and father’s disappearance."~Goodreads

I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book.  I haven't read a ton of angel books and most of the ones I've heard of are romances.  This novel is about a brother and a sister so  romance really wasn't part of the equation.  After finishing it I'm still not really sure about this one. It centers around Jenna, an eighth grader with a world of problems.  Her father is missing, her mother doesn't leave the house and her older brother is a pot head.  When she and her brother are in a car accident and he becomes an angel things get even more complicated.  There were definitely things I loved about it, but there was plenty that fell flat as well.   

LIKES:

• The writing style:  The style of the book was really cool.  Jenna definitely had a unique voice and the author did a great job of bringing that across.  The colloquialisms in the writing added to the charm and really pulled me in.
• Jenna's got spunk:  I just loved Jenna.  She was so full of life and laughter despite her dire circumstances and that really got me attached to her.  Throw in her impressive and growing vocabulary and her sense of humor and I was sold on Jenna.  Her relationship with her brother was also really genuine and sweet.

DISLIKES:

• Amber:  I just didn't see the point of Amber, and I don't just mean her character.  I also didn't get why Jenna hated her so much or why Amber was such a pill.  With fun, lovable characters like Jenna and her brother I was hoping that Amber would have been developed a little more.
• Where's the magic?:  This book reads more like a mystery than a paranormal story.  There isn't a lot of angel-ish stuff going on except for Casey's physical changes and some little tricks that go by practically without notice.  I would have liked to see more of the paranormal/angel element.
• No surprises: Everything is sort of laid out for you in the synopsis.  The reader already knows the big twist (cough Casey's an angel) before the book even begins.  So when Jenna finally comes to that conclusion it's not very exciting for the reader.  This could have been avoided completely with a different title and description.  The other big revelation, that Jenna is being poisoned, is also right there in the blurb.  

I started out really loving this book.  Unfortunately, by the time I finished it I wasn't as excited about it.   That being said, the writing style alone is enough for me to want to pick up the author's other work.  I'm excited to see what she what else is out there.  If you're looking for something heavy on the paranormal this book might not be for you.  But if you want a cute younger mystery give it a shot.

Book Hauls and Updates and Giveaway Winners, Oh My!

Hey guys!  I just wanted to let you know that I'm not dead.  May has just been a crazy month for me and I haven't had any time really to read or blog. But June looks like it's going to be much easier so I should be able to get back on schedule.  So I thought I'd go ahead and put up a book haul to jump start things.  But first I wanted to  announce the winners of my Blogiversary Giveaway.  

The winner of the prize pack is:

BETH W.

And the winner of a book from The Book Depository is:

RABIAH R.

Congrats you two! And thank you all so much for making my blogiversary so special!

Now onto the book haul!

WON:

  

Thanks to Harper Teen, Random House and Tammy at Books Bones and Bunny

FOR REVIEW:

 

Thanks to Merit Press and SoHo Teen

BOUGHT:

   

Don't Leave a Ghost Homeless - Save The Book House!

Image by The Book House.  Used with permission.

In the heart of Rock Hill, amid the bustle of the seemingly endless Manchester Rd. traffic hides one of St. Louis' most beloved landmarks.  You might miss it if you're driving past but it is in your best interest to find it.  I'm speaking of course of the most magical place on Manchester, The Book House.  Growing up in St. Louis there were few places as wonderful for me as this pretty little 19th Century house.  With it's friendly staff, resident cat (Blake), and every room packed floor to ceiling (literally) with books both used and new what's not to love?  

Image by The Book House.  Used with permission.

Oh, it also happens to be haunted.  That's right, local legend says that The Book House is haunted by an apparently very well-read little girl named Valerie.  She's a playful ghost who is always willing to help people find what they're looking for.  She's even been known to knock a book off of a shelf when a patron couldn't find it (Robbie Courtaway, Spirits of St. Louis).  Now the property owner wants to tear it down to build a storage unit.  A STORAGE UNIT. We can't leave little Valerie without a home, and we can't leave St. Louis without it's Book House.  Luckily there are ways you can help.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Even if you don't live in the area you can help this local treasure stay put.  I'm asking you, my fellow book lovers (or hoarders as the case may be) to do me and my fellow St. Louisans a favor in the name of the printed word.  There are two things you can do.  First of all there is an Indiegogo campaign where you can donate funds that will go toward saving the property.  If you aren't able to donate you can sign the petition and let the City of Rock Hill know that we want to keep our Book House.  It only takes a minute and you don't have to be a resident to sign it.  Please take a second to help out.  My childhood thanks you.

Mini Review: Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer

David Levithan's work and I have a tumultuous relationship. Although I find his style and passion both beautiful and earnest I have often found that his penchant for pushing his beliefs on the reader abrasive. This seems funny to me because 90% of the time I agree with what he's saying, it's simply his delivery that I am at odds with. As for Andrea Cremer, I am not familiar with her work so I was able to go into Invisibility without prejudice. I was excited to read this book and to see how the authors worked together to build such a unique storyline.

Unfortunately I was mostly disappointed. At first the story was great. The main character, Stephen, was pretty well-developed in the first few chapters and his relationship with spunky Elizabeth opened up a world of possibility. Throw in her adorable brother, Laurie, and I was sure I was in for a good time. Sadly the book quickly developed into a rushed supernatural plot line that seemed too convoluted for the earlier storyline. It just didn't fit. The last section of the book was a mix of insta-love dramatics and info dumps. All in all I was just disappointed. This book could have been something extraordinary but instead it was just strange and rushed.